Tribe turns to Carmona in Game 6

Boston will counter with Curt Schilling in a rematch of Game 2.

GATEHOUSE NEWS SERVICE

BOSTON — The Indians arrived at soggy Fenway Park Friday afternoon, perhaps the last place they had hoped to be spending their day.

None of Cleveland’s players came to Jacobs Field Thursday night carrying a suitcase. The Indians had planned on beating Boston, winning the American League pennant and sleeping in Friday while anticipating next week’s World Series.

“We weren’t going to go to the ballpark expecting to lose,” manager Eric Wedge said.

Red Sox right-hander Josh Beckett ruined that plan, however, pitching Boston to a 7-1 victory in Game 5. That outcome forced the Indians to pack their bags, get up early and make an unexpected flight to Boston Friday.

The American League Championship Series returns to Fenway for tonight’s Game 6.

“Like I said last night, you would not expect to win four games in a row in this type of series,” said Wedge, whose club holds a 3-2 advantage in the best-of-seven series. “We’re one win away from getting to where we want to get to.”

The Indians will be counting on Fausto Carmona to get them there. The 23-year-old right-hander was superb against New York in the Division Series, but struggled in Game 2 against Boston. He was knocked out in the fifth inning after giving up four runs.

“I was trying to be a little fine,” Carmona said through interpreter Luis Rivera. “I was thinking just a little too much.”

Carmona walked five batters and threw 100 pitches during those four innings. Cleveland pitching coach Carl Willis said some credit needs to go to Boston’s batting order.

“I thought Boston obviously had a very good game plan, and they were patient,” Willis said. “The Red Sox are very disciplined and are obviously a veteran lineup of professional hitters. They laid off a lot of pitches that other clubs swing at. But, I would also say that, early in the counts, [Carmona] was a bit fine.”

Boston will counter with another pitcher who wasn’t at his best in Game 3, veteran right-hander Curt Schilling. The Indians scored five runs off Schilling in 42⁄3 innings, four on home runs by Jhonny Peralta and Grady Sizemore.

Schilling came into that game with a 9-2 career postseason record and 1.93 ERA. He was reminded Friday of the “bloody sock” game in 2004, also Game 6 of the ALCS. Blood was leaking from sutures used during a surgical procedure to stabilize tendons in Schilling’s ankle as he pitched against New York.

“The Yankee lineup in ’04 was as good an offense as I’ve ever faced,” Schilling said. “I was basically pitching on a broken foot with a lot less stuff than I have now, and I gave up one run over seven innings. There’s no excuse for me not to be able to go out [tonight] with what I have now and, if I can execute perfectly, I can pitch as good, if not better.”

The Indians have had their travel plans changed once. The revised itinerary is to win tonight, fly back to Cleveland and begin making preparations to face Colorado in the World Series.

“[Schilling] has had a tremendous postseason career,” Wedge said. “I think that’s well-documented.

“But, from my standpoint, the only thing that matters is the way our guys play. If we go out there and play a good baseball game, we’re going to give ourselves a good chance to win.”